The House of Our Dreams
by angelsinstead
Summary: Starr and Schuyler move to Port Charles into the house of their dreams but something haunting lies in store for them.


**Chapter One**

Starr and Schuyler were married not long after Cole's prison sentence. Starr thought she could wait for Cole to be paroled, but she was lonely and it was difficult being a single mom. She and Schuyler fell in love.

Schuy turned out to be a wonderful stepdad to little Hope. Her daughter adored Schuy and without any prompting, she soon started calling him daddy.

After much discussion, Starr and her new husband decided to move away from Llanview. It was hard leaving her family and friends, but she wanted to make a new life with Schuyler in Port Charles, New York. They had done a lot of research about Port Charles online and they came to the conclusion that it would be a nice place to raise a family. They packed up a moving truck and headed toward Port Charles. It was going to be a few hours of driving, but it was scenic and they enjoyed listening to music and snacking on the way.

Little Hope was sleepy, so she was resting most of the time on their trip. "I can't wait to see our new house," Starr said to Schuy. "We saw all the pictures online, but I am sure it will look so much better in person."

"You're right," said Schuy with a grin. "There are lots of bedrooms, so we can start adding to our family whenever you are ready."

"Ohhh so you think Hope needs a little brother or sister?" Starr asked.

"Yeah, or maybe two or three," Schuyler stated. "I've always wanted a big family, especially since I grew up an only child."

"We can start trying getting pregnant right away," Starr agreed. "Well, just as soon as we unpack."

Schuyler smirked when she mentioned trying to conceive a new baby. "I really look forward to that."

She playfully smacked his arm as he was driving down the interstate. "Behave yourself. We have a LOT of unpacking to do first," she teased.

"Yeah, we do," he replied. "But I will be quick about it, just knowing there's a reward."

"Schuy!" she gasped, actually blushing a little bit.

Xxxooo

They were both exhausted when they arrived in Port Charles. Hope was waking up and she was starting to whimper as she was hungry and wanted out of her cramped car seat. "We are almost there, Sweetie," Starr promised her baby girl.

Hope was almost three now. She was absolutely adorable. She had blond hair, blue eyes, and her mother's lovely smile.

"We're here!" Schuy exclaimed as they pulled into the driveway of their new home. It was a long driveway with lots of trees and at the end of the road was a mansion that was at least 100 years old. It was well-kept, but looked it like something out of a Victorian horror novel.

"Schuy, ummmm...there's something about this house. Uhhhh... doesn't it feel weird to you?" Starr asked as he was parking the moving truck.

"Ohhh come on, Starr. You don't believe in creepy things... like ghosts, do you?"

"Well, no... not really. It's just that I feel..."

"Hungry. We are both hungry. And we're tired, too," Schuyler stated. "I'm sure that Hope is as well. We should take her inside."

"Well, alright, but..."

"Starr, really, everything is okay," Schuy promised. "It's JUST a house."

"But it looks nothing like the photos online. There's something here, Schuy. I swear to you. I am scared."

She actually shivered in fear as she said the words. Schuyler could see how unsettled she was, so he offered to go inside and check everything out. "You stay here with Hope and I'll be right back," said Schuy as he withdrew the key from his pocket that the realtor had sent to him by mail.

"Be careful, Schuy," she warned, before giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Everything will be fine," he assured her as he stepped out of the truck.

She watched him walk up to the front door, unlock it, and go inside. After Schuyler was out of sight, she unstrapped little Hope from her car seat. "It's okay, Sweetie. Daddy will be right back," Starr promised as she hugged her precious daughter.

As she was kissing the top of Hope's little head, she heard a knock on the passenger window. She looked up to see a man. He was smiling at her as his eyes twinkled.

"Ohhhh uhhhh hello," Starr said as she spoke to him through the small crack at the top of the slightly open window.

"You must be the new couple moving in," said the man. "I am your neighbor. I live just over there."

The man pointed to a smaller Victorian mansion just to the right of the home that she and Schuy had just purchased. They weren't that far apart and looked like they might be a set.

"We share a driveway," the man added. "What's your name?"

"I'm Starr," she said as a strange uneasiness started creeping up again. Who was this guy and how did he show up so fast when they had only just arrived at their destination?

"And who's the little one?"

"Hope, my daughter. Look, my husband will be back in just a minute. Maybe we could talk another time," Starr said as Hope squirmed in her arms, seeming to be uneasy in the dark-haired man's presence as well.

"Sure, sorry to bother you. Welcome to neighborhood," said the man, his eyes gleaming.

There was something about those eyes. They looked just like the eyes of a serial killer! *Starr, you're losing it. You are losing your grip on reality. He's JUST an ordinary guy. Calm down!"

But before the guy could walk away, Starr spoke cautiously. "Hey, I didn't catch your name."

"Ohhh sorry. I'm afraid I didn't introduce myself. I am Ryan Chamberlain, your next door neighbor." 


End file.
